The Walking Edd
by Sky-Pirate-Tat
Summary: The story of Kevin and Edd's survival of the zombie apocalypse within a year. Each chapter will be a new month. (Kevedd)
1. Chapter 1

**Warning: **This is going to be like Game of Thrones- characters will die no matter how much you love them/beg me not to kill them off/ stake out my apartment and give me death threats.

**A/N:** Inspired by tumblr user noribouu's zombie au drawings of this pairing. Check out her art! It's really great!

April 22

_I've watched the weight of your world come down_

X

Edd shuffled his papers at the podium. He tugged on his bowtie, slightly nervous. It was his turn in the debate team and though he had done public speaking several times since freshman year in high school, it still took courage to utter the first sentence.

He ignored the audience before him, his teacher, and fellow debate team members, looking forward, above the audience's heads, giving the illusion that he was talking to them.

He loosened up a quarter of a way through, voice becoming more passionate, but as soon as he relaxed everything went to hell. If this was a horror movie that would be the tagline to the trailer. Maybe. Edd never watched horror movies, always annoyed by the anatomical inconsistencies.

Kevin slammed open the door to the auditorium. Three expressions shuffled across Edd's face: surprise, annoyance, and then concern. Though it had made things awkward for both of them, Edd knew Kevin would only make such an entrance if it was important.

"We need to go," was all he said over the speechless crowd.

"I beg your pardon?" Edd flattened his papers on the podium, confused. "Is there a fire? Or did you happen to lose your ball here?" He teased, but realized he shouldn't have. At this moment Kevin should be playing for the baseball team. Whatever it was, it had to beserious.

"I wish." Kevin said, tone graveled, almost laughing, sarcastic. He stomped up to the stage where Edd was standing, ignoring everyone else. As he drew closer, Edd noticed Kevin's baseball uniform was red, which was certainly not the school color. More details knitted into focus: his long sleeved shirt was ripped off on the left, revealing his shoulder blade, the claw marks, fresh and angry on said shoulder. In his right hand was a baseball bat, smeared with red blood.

"Kevin. . . ?" Edd didn't know what to think. He just sincerely hoped Kevin hadn't seriously injured or killed anyone. The scenario was shaping itself to be that, making Edd's skin bristle like he was twelve years old and in the middle of one of Eddy's schemes.

"You have to promise me something."

"Um. . . anything," he said, though Double D was unsure.

"Don't laugh at me when I say this." He looked over his shoulder briefly, as if afraid something would enter the doors after him. Then his eyes locked onto Edd's.

". . .Okay."

"The school is being overrun with zombies."

Edd laughed. _Am I dreaming?_ He couldn't imagine Kevin saying such a thing, let alone attempting to prank him with such a premise. He had to be lucid dreaming for the details to be so sharp and realistic and yet retaining the nonsense. He expected that Kevin's head would be replaced with Ed's and that he was actually in his underwear trying to give his presentation in public

Kevin pinched him, as if reading his thoughts. "I know it's ridiculous, but we really gotta go before it's too late." His fingers threaded with Edd's. "Trust me."

He turned toward the crowd, still speaking to Edd. "There is some zombie shit going on. Grab the water, knives, and guns. We gotta get to some remote location like _right now_ right now." His tone darkened, "And if people don't believe me, they get eaten."

Edd followed the pull of his boyfriend, though he didn't like this; it felt like being led around like a dog! Still, there was an intensity in Kevin's green eyes he couldn't ignore. If this was a dream, well, Edd would go with it for now. A little imagination never hurt anyone, and he knew he could wake up at any time. He could forgive dream-Kevin for pulling him around.

Halfway down the hall Kevin stopped. Double D ran into him, their hands still tethered together.

"What is it?" Edd asked.

Silently, the other raised his finger in response, his face concentrated, listening carefully. There was a soft shuffling of footsteps. It reminded Edd of the parties he had attended with Kevin a few times and those who became so drunk they could hardly walk.

Fear prickled the back of Edd's spine. Was it the shadows at the end of the hall or just the quiet foreboding? No. It was how Kevin's hand trembled in his. Edd noted the Chem lab at their left, and quickly steered Kevin there- it was his turn to lead the way. Kevin didn't question him, trusting Edd as much as Edd trusted him: entirely.

Kevin carefully closed the door behind them. There was no way to lock it without a key, so he pushed a chair under the handle as a temporary deadbolt.

He gently held Edd's back and led him down to his knees. They crept across the floor like that. The entire time the words, _filthy filthy filthy, _were running through Edd's mind. Kevin peered up where the only windows in the lab faced the hall. Edd felt compelled to look too, but soon wished he hadn't.

Edd had known to expect this, but he was not mentally prepared. There was a march of corpses, white film over their unseeing eyes, skin and jaw sagging. Their lips were drawn back, revealing human teeth stained with blood. Their gums were red and purple with decay. Many had retained their tongue, though others were not so fortunate (if you could call being a zombie in the first place _fortunate)_.

Double D turned to Kevin, voice low. "This is a prank, right? If it is- it's not funny."

Kevin kept his steely gaze on the zombies through the window. He didn't know what to say, but he knew what he wanted to say. But he couldn't. This was the truth.

"Got any ideas?" Kevin asked, already establishing their roles: him the brute force and Edd the genius.

"Well. . ." Edd carefully crawled towards the empty desks. Vials of chemicals were set up, presumably for the next class... A class that now wouldn't happen.

X

Fifteen minutes later Edd had set up an impromptu plan. He motioned to Kevin that he was ready.

There were zombies at the outside window as well. Edd had done a headcount and there was a better chance of survival this way than going further through the school. It would be unwise to traverse further indoors as well. It only increased the possibility that they could be cornered, and they had no idea which areas were safe to tread.

"You remember the way I directed?" Edd asked. Ever prepared, he had also estimated the safest direction through: a 90 degree angle towards the cul de sac. It had the lowest headcount.

"Ready?"

Edd nodded. Kevin broke the window with his bat and glass waterfalled to the ground. Kevin hiked over to the other side and held out his hand for Edd, leaning his bloodied baseball bat over his shoulder.

"Thank you."

"No problem." They smiled to each other for the briefest of moments before Kevin let go of Double D's hand and flicked the lighter. Kevin never smoked, but some student who had been using the chem lab did. He had found it under one of the desks. He kindled a sheet of papers Edd handed him- the speech Edd had been working on- and like that he threw them in the now empty chem lab.

They ran before the chemicals reacted to the fire. Edd stayed behind Kevin (clenching Kevin's hand for dear life) as Kevin swung his bat at any walking corpse that dared cross their paths. Blood splattered on Edd's face and it was all he could take to resist the urge to vomit or find the nearest faucet to clean himself. He clenched his eyes shut, abhorrent the way the blood, slick and thick as a gastropod, sluggishly slid down his cheeks.

He soon forgot his original hope that this was a joke or nightmare. Survival was the only thing on both their minds.

Astounding how fear trumped logic. Edd had never so much watched a horror movie or read non-fiction, and yet, here they were, running from the unimaginable.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Nat is c2ndy2c1d 's OC. Thanks for letting me kill him off! :,) This chapter is also based off one of the specific little comics noribou drew. Check out both these awesome people on tumblr.

X

May 25-31 _you need to know that you're in for the fight of your life_

X

"It's been over a month," Edd said, artfully crossing out the 31st in his planner.

Kevin shrugged. It felt like an eternity and yesterday all at once. And they hoped each day it would end today. But so far it hadn't.

They were holed up in Kevin's house, having safely made it to their neighborhood. Since then they had a set schedule, a sort of normality amongst the chaos. The streets were empty save for the occasional zombies which Kevin took care of on sight, choosing his bat decorated in rusty nails over the guns his dad kept in the house. Guns made noise, drawing more zombies.

Edd got up from the couch. Kevin paid no attention to this until he heard the front door open. He stood up, grabbing his bat, waiting faithfully at his side. "Where are you going?"

"I need to get something from home."

"I'm going with you," Kevin decided. He didn't notice the catch in Edd's thin lipped expression.

"No need to worry, Kevin. My return will be quick and punctual," he reassured.

"It's dangerous." Kevin caught his hand before he could make another attempt at leaving. "Whatever it is- I'll go with you. Or get it for you."

Edd cooly moved his hand out of the redhead's grasp, "I will be fine, I assure you."

Their eyes met, both stubborn.

Exasperated, Kevin sighed, rubbing his face. "Fine. But I'm watching you. The moment one of those things comes near you, you come back inside, okay?"

X

It was awkward seeing Kevin across the street from him, gaze intent, pleading with him to hurry. Weeks ago the action would have warmed Eddward's heart, but the gratitude had slowly eroded as he began to feel more like a child under Kevin's overprotective behaviour. It wasn't so much that either; it only reinforced Edd's anxiety about the idea that he was weak and needed to be saved, that he couldn't take care of himself. As an only child and his parents scarce, one could say he raised himself.

His parents...

Edd frowned at the crowd of unanswered post it notes on the wall, some yellowing with age under the sunlight. Where were his parents? Were they even alive?

The reason they stayed at Kevin's house was because Edd didn't have to be reminded of these questions, and yet, here he was, alone, confronted by this. But at least he had time to himself- and he had chosen this.

He didn't actually need to get anything from his house. He wandered the empty halls, letting his thoughts wander. If he tried hard enough he could imagine that his parents were away as usual and this was like any other day.

Knowing Kevin would approach him if he took long, Edd grabbed a few textbooks on his way back downstairs. Perfunctorily, he went outside, looking both ways before crossing the street, aware of not cars but zombies.

He met up with Kevin on the other side; the other gave the books a confused look before frowning. Somehow, Edd had a feeling that Kevin knew Edd was frustrated by his coddling. Before they went inside, Edd stopped, hearing a familiar voice.

"Dig a hole, dig a hole."

He dropped the books in his hands and before Kevin could stop him, Edd ran to the source.

"Ed?!" he shouted, hopeful. He ran past Eddy's house, going towards the center of the cul de sac. He slowed, seeing a moat in progress around Ed's house. A pile of dirt was near the corner of the house, slowly increasing. Edd followed the shoveling noises and looked down into the hole. His smile widened with the relief that his friend was safe.

"Ed!" he said, as he cupped his hands around his mouth.

The tall teen looked up blankly, but then a goofy grin crept up his face.

"Double D!" He climbed out of the hole on all fours and they ran to each other with arms wide open. Edd was so excited to see him again that he even forgot to spray him with sanitizer before initiating the hug.

X

The small tension that had been building between him and Kevin, and the cabin fever, disappeared when Ed joined their survivor circle.

That day they reunited, Double D asked to borrow his comic books and movies concerning zombies. Never had he dreamed he would make such a request or use it for research, much to Kevin's chagrin. He seemed uneasy about the movies in particular.

"Can you turn that off already? You've been watching zombie movies for four hours."

Edd turned off the television and the living room was quiet. Ed was back at his house, working on the moat, leaving the couple alone.

It was too quiet. The jock was laying down on the couch, red cap over his eyes, trying to relax.

"Kevin," Edd started carefully, wondering how he should word this.

"Yeah, Double D?"

"Do you want to talk about this?"

"Talk about what?" He grunted.

"Our situation. . ." Edd squeezed his knees and bit his lip, the gap in his teeth showing. "It's obvious that these movies are bothering you." What else should he say? 'Did something happen?' Of course something did, the trouble was drawing that out of Kevin. It wasn't merely Double D's curiosity either, knowledgeable in psychiatry, he knew that Kevin needed to vent his emotions.

"What about it?"

"If you ever need to talk. . . or cry. You can. It's perfectly normal-"

"Don't need to." Kevin rolled over, back facing Edd.

Edd began to reach over, then stopped. He tugged on on his hat, biting his lip again, and finally, he curled up next to the other teen. There was tension in Kevin's shoulders. The questions Double D had asked had caused all of his muscles to twitch, and his side to squelch, apprehensive.

Their baseball team had been doing great and everyone was elated to win, already forming after game celebrations in their heads.

At the last inning, someone -some_thing_- ran across the field. What was strange about this initially was they weren't on the team and they were running before the pitch was made. Stranger, terrifying was that the runner opened their mouth wide and chomped into one of the baseman's shoulders.

A cry had erupted from his mouth. Those closer to the scene also screamed and the audience in the bleachers, seeing more of the runner's kind on the field, began to scramble out.

It was madness: sudden blood on the manicured playing field and intestines strewn about the bases. Kevin forfeited his catcher's mitt and grabbed one of the closest baseball bats near the coach's bench.

One of the zombies closed in on Kevin, and he almost froze on the spot, only snapping out of his bewilderment as he was pushed to the ground, its cold breath against his neck, teeth crooked and ready to feast.

"FUCK!" he screamed, pushing it off of him, his voice helping to drive his force. By pure instinct, before the thing would get a chance to get up again, he brutally smashed its face in with the bat,. A sickening crack fell on his ears and its head, soft with rot, smashed in like a watermelon.

Blood pooled under the bat, creating a stain he would never get rid of.

His survival was the first thing to fill his thoughts, and then he remembered Edd, that his boyfriend was also on the school grounds, in the middle of his debate. He was either blissfully unaware or trying to fight his way though, like him. Kevin's stomach curdled at the thought. He lunged toward the school entrance.

At the door he tripped, grabbed by a zombie missing its legs, abdomen on the floor, hindered but no less hungry. His eyes widened, feeling the shadow and stench of another zombie, one more able.

"Leave me the fuck alone!" he screamed, hitting the crippled one, but it held him, refusing the relent.

"I got ya, bro!"

Baseball cleats stomped on the creature, the plastic spikes digging into its scalp until it was extinguished.

"Nat! Watch out!"

Kevin had thought slow motion only existed in movies until now. The sight of his friend, throwing himself into danger for him -cut to the zombie that almost bit a chunk out of Kevin's chest, latched onto Nat's arm instead. His upper lip twitched.

Unfazed, Nat batted his attacker away. Blood was dripping from the bite and Kevin's eyes were wide with fear. If this was anything like the movies they used to watch, Nat didn't have much time. He thought his friend was going to ask to finish him off before he turned. Instead he ushered him to go.

"Bu-"

"You need to find Double D. Don't waste your time with me." He shoved him off.

"B-but you're-"

"Heh. Don't worry. It will look like a cool scar when it heals." Even now he was joking.

That was the last time Kevin saw his friend. Watching the zombie flicks with Double D reminded him of that moment and others before, when he and Nat went to the theaters to see those same movies. When the credits rolled, they asked each other, "Would you survive?"

Kevin balked at how stupid he was then. Ever cocky, he had proclaimed that it would be a cinch, maybe even fun.

It was none of that. The battles were simple, using his muscle memory from working out, but the anxiety and depression. . . he hadn't expected that. The fear that he couldn't protect Edd, that Edd hated him for being so protective. What if he ended up like Nat? Could he do the most merciful thing to his boyfriend? Was it right that they were still fighting. . . was that hopeless?

All of it hit him like a bag of wet cement.

He wanted to cry but he was afraid he wouldn't be able to stop.

X

"No! Chickens!"

Ed's voice woke them both up. They heard him from across the street in Rolf's backyard. Always in normal clothes in case something happened, they wasted no time getting out of bed, Kevin with his bat and a kitchen knife sheathed in leather, Double D with a gun Kevin had lent him and a first aid kit. He was comfortable with only one of the two.

It was as they feared, or even more ridiculous. Ed was surrounded by zombies, not a weapon in hand but his arms full of chickens, trying to save the fowl.

"Drop the chickens, dorkface!"

Ed didn't notice the two, concentrated on protecting the thing he loved most. "Away with you, mindless zombies!" he growled, kicking their heads in. Even with his strength, there were too many of them and he was doomed to fail if he kept his arms full.

"Kevin!" Edd pointed.

"Son of a. . ." Kevin's eyes narrowed as he saw Ed's side and bare legs, red with blood. He didn't know if being bitten would turn Ed, but he didn't want to find out.

"Stay back. I'm going in," Kevin said.

Edd placed his hand on the gun. Kevin's hand covered his. "Don't. You'll just attract more of 'em." His hand ran over Edd's worried face, forcing a lopsided grin. "Kiss for good luck?"

_Or farewell?_ Edd pondered bitterly, but consented.

He was left to watch his boyfriend scuffle with the undead miscreants. His body shook; this was nothing like when he watched the horror movies, with an observatory eye. His eyes watched every mouth that neared Kevin's flesh, and sighed, relieved when Kevin had evaded.

"Ed, please let go of the chickens!" he begged, not forgetting his friend either.

The big guy was showing himself to be more of a hinderance to Kevin's work, refusing to forget about the birds and sometimes accidentally kicking Kevin. Still, Kevin held his temper, knowing now wasn't the time to retaliate, surprising Edd with his restraint.

"Neeeeh," a heavy moan came from behind Edd. He jumped back and raised the first aid kit, sloppily knocking the zombie upside the head.

"Good lord!" he yelped, the decomposition smell snaking up his nostrils. He batted at the zombie back and forth, all while backing away. He saw Rolf's door from the corner of his eye and hoped it was unlocked. He worked the door handle behind his back, swinging away at his pursuer. With a click it opened and he fell back, on his back but safely inside. He slammed the door in the walking corpse's face, using his legs as leverage. The force knocked the body upwards, leaving Edd with the satisfying sound of victory.

Five minutes later Kevin stumbled into the house, floorboards creaking under his feet. Double D's demeanor brightened, then wilted, seeing that neither Ed nor the chickens was behind him.

"He was out before it was over." Kevin dropped next to Edd. Edd caught him in his lap, wordlessly wrapping his wounds, tears forming in the corners of his eyes at the news.

"And the chickens?"

"Safe." Kevin laughed, dry and cold. "They weren't interested in them. At all."

"And you?" A hand wrapped around his bandaged one.

"Beat." Kevin flexed his bandaged hand around Double D's.

They breathed in, eyes closed, taking a moment to relax, when Kevin's hand twitched. He opened one eye and sat back up, taking his weapon in his hands again. He gasped, feeling a twinge of pain jolt in this knuckles. The bat dropped.

"Kevin?" Double D mouthed.

Silence.

Kevin didn't trust the quiet, all too familiar with a shitstorm's patterns. Every muscle in his body tensed, reopening some wounds.

The floorboards creaked again.

They creaked again and tore apart. The body that emerged jumped out like a shark, jaws opened.

It was Ed.

_Was_ Ed.

He was pale as paper, bloodstains the only color on his face. The crimson mostly collected on his face near his hollow eye socket.

"Fuck." Kevin fell to his knees.

Wetness burned Edd's eyes, "Ed. . ." he lamented.

". . .Shit. I can't move. You're going to have to do it, Double D."

Edd's eyes were wide and swollen, perplexed. "Kevin, I'm scared."

"I know, Double D. But you have to. . .nngh." He caught his side.

"But Kevin. . .!" He turned to Kevin, begging him to do the task. And then, back at Ed, stupefied and crawling towards him, drool forming a puddle on the floor. "Ed. . . he was my good friend." Dumbfounded, he reached for Kevin's bat. It felt alien in his hands.

"I'm too banged up to do it for you. . ." Was he really? Kevin wondered, or was he just using this as an opportunity to toughen Eddward up? "He'll attract more if we leave him like tha-"

"I know! I know. . ." Edd interrupted, sniffling. "I just. . ." His hands squeezed around the handle of the bat, coagulating blood slipping through the spaces between his fingers. ". . .I just wish this was a bad dream."

Kevin's hand settled on Double D's shoulder.

"K-Kevin?"

He leaned into Edd's back, nuzzling the back of his neck. "I'm. . ." A sob racked up his throat and he paused, resisting it. He swallowed it down. ". . .sorry. I wish I could take you away from all this. It's all so fucked up." His arms snaked around Edd's shoulders, squeezing him to his chest. "But I can't!" Self-hatred was thick in his tone. "I can't and I hate myself for not protecting you better."

"I'm sorry," Edd whispered; who this was directed at- Kevin or Ed- they didn't know. The word fell out of his lips, useless.

Just like they were.

"Here. I'll help you." Kevin held Double D's hands wrapped around the bat, their bodies moving in synchronicity as the wood impacted Ed's skull. The bat snapped in half, but the zombie- no, their friend- was still. Finally at peace.


	3. Chapter 3

_June 3 - 8 fake smiles, seen 'em all, I just don't need it_

Flowers, freshly picked and golden yellow. If Ed were alive he would have giggled and said they reminded him of chickens.

That was precisely why Edd chose daffodils. He bent down, his silence deepening, remembering his friend. The memories of their childhood were strong and stung. Tears misted the corners of his eyes as he placed the flowers on the grave marker. A sense of finality hit him and he found himself having trouble standing up.

Kevin was unsure if he should help him up or not. He had given the dork space to mourn, knowing that if he were in Edd's place he wouldn't want anyone to even touch him. But Edd was different from him, this he knew. He considered talking to him about it but he didn't know how to comfort his boyfriend either.

All he knew he could do was dig a grave. It was the most he could come up with to comfort his boyfriend, and the least he could do for Ed.

They buried him in the back of Rolf's yard, near the chicken coop, the only area clear of fallen zombies. Kevin hated touching the things. He'd known this before but become certain when he handled Ed's body. Though wrapped in Rolf's mothers' pink floral bed sheets, it sickened him to touch it.

It was worse than touching the other zombies, because he had known him when he was human.

Kevin started towards Double D and helped him up. Like a ragdoll he fell into him, and sensing the familiar comfort of him, he squeezed hard, grasping for something that made sense.

"Let's go make lunch, all right?" Kevin said, opting for a change of pace.

Edd regained his footing, although as they walked back to Kevin's house across the street he slumped against his body.

It had been days and Edd hadn't said a word. Kevin wasn't used to that.

He was used to the dork spouting scientific facts he didn't quite understand and things that sometimes bored him. He was used to a dork who was cheerful and sassy, not opposed to keeping Kevin in line.

This wasn't the Double D he knew, and that scared him.

He wondered if Edd saw him the same way: that Kevin wasn't the Kevin he knew. The Kevin who used to be cocky and unafraid.

He was afraid every waking moment and he hated it. He hated himself.

He hated this fucking mess.

Edd hardly touched his lunch of beans and spam. Not the food of champions but cruel times weeded out picky eaters, and Edd normally ate all of his food.

Finally, he spoke. "I apologize, Kevin. Please eat the rest."

"You gotta eat, dork." He raised his chin so Edd was forced to meet his eyes.

"My digestive system cannot take it at the moment." He wrapped his arms around his stomach and averted his eyes. His stomach was a hollow knot. Food was unappetizing.

Kevin frowned. "Just promise me you'll eat dinner."

Edd turned away, not wanting to make promises he might not be able to keep.

X

The rest of the day was uneventful. They loathed these days and relished them both at once. Boring was nice. Interesting meant a horde of the undead in their backyard.

The zombie movies and comics Ed had lent Double D were left unread, unwatched, and unceremoniously shoved into a corner. Kevin worried that Edd hadn't made the pile neat and orderly, even though he generally preoccupied himself by cleaning the house from top to bottom and bottom to top. Rinse and repeat. Kevin simply avoided touching Ed's stuff. Near dinnertime, he covered the pile was in a towel so he couldn't even look at it.

Kevin saved his boyfriend the trouble and shoved Ed's possessions in a trash bag.

"I'll be right back," he assured. He would have just tossed them in the front yard but Edd insisted they either go to the gravesite or Ed's house. He didn't like the idea of desecrating his friend's belongings and Kevin had to agree. He would roll in his grave if someone threw his bike into the junkyard.

"I hope she's alright…" he said, opening the door to Ed's house.

"You talkin' about your bike, Shovelchin?" There was a loud voice, the sound scathing like nails dragging across a chalkboard.

He dropped the bag and turned around quickly, not at the familiar voice but promise of his bike.

The bike was as he remembered it, except covered in dirt and with the paint peeling. It retained most of its red varnish, and adopted a new crimson hue on the front bumper: dried blood.

His gaze drifted to the person driving the bike. Eddy waved ecstatically, soaking in Kevin's sudden anger like a sponge.

"That's my bike."

"Was. Until you left it at school."

Kevin's eyes narrowed. "Don't push me, dork."

"Finder's keepers."

Forgetting why he was at Ed's house, he trudged towards Eddy, jumping over the still-unfinished moat Ed had made, empty of water. He kicked up dust as he landed on the other side.

"I'm not easy like those zombies." He rolled the sleeve of his shirt up. "So here's your last warning. Or I'm going to beat you to a pulp and leave you out there. You wouldn't like that, Skipper."

Eddy glared at the use of his embarrassing middle name but stood his ground.

"STOP! Desist this instant, gentlemen!" Double D shouted, making his way between the two. He was slightly out of breath, but his resolve was strong.

"Eddy. Give Kevin back his bike, immediately if you please." He crossed his arms at Kevin too. "And you, Mister. Threatening violence against my friend. The nerve! Why- Kevin? …why are you smiling?"

Kevin scooped him up in a hug, saying nothing. Because you're back, he thought, squeezing him. Looking over Double D's shoulder he saw Eddy preening himself all over his bike. The very action almost broke his patience but he resisted, somewhat thankful for the obnoxious dork's presence.

Kevin was sure Edd would eat all his dinner tonight.

X

It didn't take long for Eddy to lose interest in Kevin's bike. Not with the ill news Double D shared with him over dinner.

In the morning the two went to their friend's grave to pay their respects, and since then they had been inseparable, much to Kevin's chagrin. They spent all day in Edd's garage, doing what Kevin assumed was inventing weapons, as it was his boyfriend's workshop.

"So when are you going to show me what you're working on?" he asked over breakfast. Eddy had arrived three days ago.

"That's top secret, Jughead," Eddy said, leaning over the table.

Double D coughed and pointed at his hands splayed all over the table.

"Yeah yeah…" Eddy fell back into his seat and shoveled cereal in his mouth. It did little to keep his mouth closed as he only continued talking with his mouth full.

"Eddy!" Double D insisted.

"What?" Eddy waved his spoon. Although they didn't have milk with their cereal, they brought the spoons out to make things feel normal.

Double D sighed with exasperation, then smiled warmly at Kevin. "You'll see soon."

X

"What was that siren about?!" Kevin yelled. "Don't you know noises attract those… things?!"

"You'll see in a bit, if you'll just follow me."

It was a week later and Eddy was leading Kevin to the garage, wearing his best used car salesman smile.

"So here's the plan, Kev. Can I call you Kev?" It wasn't really a question. He jumped up and looped his arm around Kevin's shoulders, pulling him down to his level, "We're gonna lure a bunch of those zombies here- and blow their heads clean off!" He motioned over to the garage, which was full of homemade explosives.

Edd awkwardly waved at Kevin, catching the look of disapproval on his face.

Raising a brow, Kevin closely examined the explosives. "I don't think this is such a good idea."

"Smart guy, huh? So what are you going to do about the zombies? Me? I'm going to get rid of them all. They'll call me- I mean- us! Us heroes!"

"You can't get rid of them all. Dork."

"Maybe not all at once. But if we do this around town we'll shave off their numbers."

Kevin rolled his eyes and pushed Eddy out of his way. "What do you think about this?" He knit his brows at Double D. "Don't tell me you agree to this? You have to know it won't work." He pointed, "His plans NEVER work!"

"I- We won't know until we try, Kevin," Edd defended.

"We. Are. Not. Doing this. It's too danger-"

They all stopped. Their ears picked up on the sounds of feet shuffling.

"Too late. Looks like they're all here." Eddy grinned.

"You idiot!" He growled, remembering the siren Eddy had played before leading him over here. "They're going to surround us and then wha-"

"That's when we use these babyies." He elbowed one of the explosives, dormant without the trigger. He waved the detonator in his hand. "See, Jughead. I got this in the bag. So take a chill pill, why don't ya?"

How could he relax? They were here, and given the volume of the alarm that Eddy had sounded, there could be hundreds on their way, aimlessly wandering toward the promise of prey.

He flexed his hand, missing his old baseball bat. He grabbed the closest thing to his weapon of choice- a steel pipe lying around in the garage.

"Fine. I guess we're going to have to go through with your plan now, Dorky. Double D. C'mere and stand behind me." He smacked the pipe in his hands thoughtfully, "I'm going to clear a path, you guys follow. When we're a good distance away then you can activate the bomb."

"See. I knew you would come through, Kev." Eddy snickered.

Kevin decided to ignore that, instead focusing on the reanimated bodies. From behind him he heard Edd mutter, "Smelly smelly smelly", covering his nose with one hand and holding onto Kevin's with the other.

He charged towards the smaller forms, swinging low. Their necks snapped like twigs. Bodies fell like bag of rocks. He ran toward the edge of the garage, then fell back, pushed back inside. They were steadily, dangerously increasing in number. The living found their backs to the explosives. Cold breath breathed on Kevin's neck- was it even breathing or did he imagine that? - and his skin was covered with goosebumps. He looked up helplessly at the exit, now so far away.

Eddy was further along than them. Almost to the edge of the garage, but not doing any better. Weaponless, he was smacking the zombies upside the head and doing the only thing he knew how to do well: yell very loudly.

"Geez! Fricken' zombies! What'd I ever do to you?"

"Eddy!" Edd screamed worriedly, afraid he would have to see another friend turn.

"Argh! Whatever. This has to be enough distance to set it off." He whipped out the detonator, finger poised.

"Eddy!" Edd screamed again.

Kevin's heart sank into his stomach, eyes wide. "You idiot! You'll kill us all!"

But Eddy wasn't listening: too cocky, self assured, and ignorant, finger still descending.

Kevin sweated and drew out his gun from his back pocket. He never liked using it, knowing the noise only attracted more zombies.

But there wasn't much time and only so much distance…

"Fuck! My hand!"

The control fell out of the short teen's hand and was lost in the sea of decomposing bodies. He held his hand desperately, blood pooling from his wrist, twining down his arm. He turned, glaring at Kevin. "Now you've done it, Shovel Chin! We're doomed. Doom-!"

Another shot cracked through his throat and he fell to the ground. The zombies pounced on his body, ignoring Kevin and Edd, lured by the pungent smell of fresh blood.

Edd twisted against Kevin's grip, pulling in his fallen friend's direction. Solemnly Kevin clamped onto his hand. Pulling him away.

They beat their way through the horde and raced outside the cul de sac. The bomb's trigger was somewhere on the ground and who could tell when a zombie would mistakenly step on it and set it off? The farther away from the neighborhood they were, the more the group of zombies thinned. They finally relaxed inside the candy shop in town.

Kevin overturned a table, using it to barricade the door for extra insurance. Double D collapsed on the floor, wheezing as he caught his breath. Green eyes drifted over the store, and stopped at a cooler. However, as he neared it he found it had already been purged of all drinks. He should have known. For a candy store, it was bare of it, the only hint of it's past enterprise being the sign that said "Candy" outside and the large banners decorated with pixie sticks, jaw breakers, and more. One of the banners bore the logo for the Jawbreaker company his dad worked for and he frowned. His dad had been in the factory the day it all started. He wondered if he was still alive.

Returning to his venture, he searched behind the cash register. There was a half empty water bottle. Used.

Double D didn't question it's contents and gratefully took a drink. He sighed, partially refreshed. He couldn't dare to be picky in these times.

Kevin sat on the ground next to them and rested his head against Double D. It wasn't even five minutes until he stirred again.

A blast shook the ground below them, and hurt their eardrums. The bombs had finally set off.

From the glass they watched pure black smoke plume into the open air, turning the skies grey and stormy without a real storm. Flames tinged red in the distance, swallowing Ed, Eddy, and the cul de sac whole.

Kevin knew that Edd would have trouble eating again.

X

**A/N: **I really had trouble writing this chapter because I didn't want to kill Eddy.

Let me throw that out there. I know it's a Kevedd fanfic but in no way am I trying to say Eddy is evil or that people should be proud that he died. None of the characters are really safe in this fic. So everyone is at risk of dying/having something bad happen to them. :) Wouldn't make a horror story interesting if everyone is guaranteed a happy ending. Which, by the way. The only spoiler I'm willing to give you guys is that this story will NOT have a happy ending. So if that's what you need after reading something like this. . .you probably shouldn't continue.


	4. Chapter 4

July 1- _it could be wrong, but it should have been right_

Post-it notes were strewn about the tiny studio apartment. It wasn't theirs, just another abandoned building they had chosen to take shelter in. Every few days they migrated, knowing that no place was safe for long.

"Edd?" Kevin called out.

There was only silence. He stepped forward, peeling the closest post-it note off the wall.

_Kevin,_

_I have departed. I loathe to do this in such a manner but in our present situation this makes things easier. I don't want to see the despondence on your face. If I do. . . I can't say what I mean to say. Please pick up next note and no littering please._

He crumbled the yellow sticky note in his hand and stepped forward. He jumped, hissing as he stepped on a pile of long-abandoned legos.

He bent down to rub his foot, then picked up the next note.

_I appreciate everything you did for me. Even your misguided efforts. I know you meant well. I truly do. However, it doesn't mean I can easily accept those acts. I have to do this on my own now. Please understand for me. Please pick up next note. Remember, no littering._

Again.

_Do not attempt to find me. Rather, try to survive. Do that for me. It's what I intend to do for you. I have hope. No. I am certain we will meet again. When we do I want the past to be behind us. That is something I can only hope for because I know that that will be hard. Perhaps harder than surviving this epidemic. I trust you remember the instructions from the last two notes. _

There were six other notes, all leading up to the beaten up door. He gathered all the notes up, not reading them, saving them for later. Maybe. He wasn't sure. He just wanted a piece of Double D close to him.

He then gathered what little belongings he had, noting that there was an absence of Edd's and a few cans of food absent from the pantry. Kevin carried three weapons with him: a baseball bat that they had found in the studio apartment, next to the legos, a pocket knife, and his gun, resting in his back pocket. Where it stayed since the day he shot Eddy.

The dork didn't deserve to die. He annoyed Kevin, and on occasion during their childhood he had wished Eddy would just crawl in a corner and die. But he never meant it. He just wanted him to get lost.

The first shot was only to force Eddy to release the detonator threatening their lives.

The second. . . was merciful.

He knew that with the smell of fresh blood, and Eddy just _standing_ there, gaping at his wound, that the zombies would move in on him and begin to eat him alive.

Double D didn't need to see that and Eddy, with all his flaws, didn't deserve such a fate either.

He wasn't sure if he was just telling himself that.

There was also the fact that Eddy would only continue to put them in danger. From experience, Kevin knew Eddy would try the same tactic again, or something similar, only to fail from lack of foresight and common sense.

He hadn't dared to tell Double D that, sticking with his former reasoning. It had done little to ease his boyfriend, as evidenced by the goodbye notes gathered in his other back pocket.

The arguments rattled in his head as he walked down the street, hands tight around his bat.

He didn't remember the exact words, only their contents. He remembered how feverish and angrily Edd had glared at him the first few weeks after he killed Eddy. That look was slowly replaced with dejection, and he noticed Edd's lean body thinning.

In the days preceding Edd's departure, they had slept separately. It made Kevin fumble in his dreams. They were unpleasant dreams but they weren't the nightmare they were living now. In his dreams he searched for Edd's warmth. Restless.

The July sun baked his skin. He swore he could hear his sweat sizzle. That wasn't the worst part of the insistent summer heat.

It was the smell.

Everywhere he turned smelled like a two month old fish market. The zombies he slugged were overripe, sickenly sweet thanks to the heat. They were fermented corpses, falling apart and covered in boils. Even their blood was more disgusting than usual. Kevin used to have a sick joy in beating them apart, but now, the blood was dark brown and stringy. It reminded him of excrement.

The smell made him think they were liable to fall apart, but it only made them faster, more relentless. More hungry.

He wiped his brow and glared at the sun. "Fuck. I need to take a break." His hands felt stiff as he climbed the fire escape ladder of an apartment complex. He rested on the platform of the second story, back against the brick wall. He took a drink of water and closed his eyes, trying to quiet his thoughts.

A moment passed and Kevin's eyes snapped open suddenly.

It was a strange feeling that passed through him. It urged him and he listened, searching the soft shuffling, deceased crowd below.

Only one body in the suburban sea walked steadily. Alive.

Only one body wore a black sock hat.

Not wishing to alert the teen, Kevin resisted calling out. He slipped into standing position and hurried down the fire escape. He stalked through the crowd, dodging hands and carnivorous mouths. He held his bat tight in his hand. Only tightly. Like his gun, he left the weapon as a last resort. Impact would draw Edd's attention. Kevin feared he would run off.

They were close now. Their bodies were only inches apart. Kevin felt like a tiger walking through the brush.

Gentle, but firm, Kevin put his hand on Edd's shoulder.

"Edd," he said simply.

Edd turned, and, surprising Kevin, buried himself in the jock's chest. Dumbstruck, but happy, Kevin wrapped his arms around him.

And stopped.

Dull teeth raked his abdomen, sinking into flesh. Blood seeped into the front of Kevin's shirt and he stared, bewildered.

The back of Double D's head blocked view of his action. But the pain shot through him, and a twist of vulnerability ran through his stomach.

Teeth latched onto and pulled, dragging his insides.

His bat fell out of his hands. The sound echoed on the pavement.

X

Pounding echoed in his head. He shot up, drenched in sweat.

The pounding was his heart, reminding him he was alive.

His surroundings came into focus: an office, yellow papers scattered on the floor, filing cabinets ransacked. A tarp covered his lower body like a blanket. He reached his hands under it and searched under his shirt, hands pressing firm against his stomach. It was intact.

He checked the front of his shirt. There was blood, but not his own.

He fell back on the pillows, made from trash bags filled with shredded paper.

"Aha. So Kevin is awake, yes?"

He sat up again, recognition flashing across his features. His eyes widened, taking in the image of a tall, shirtless man, his muscles sheened with sweat, and beard dusting over his collarbones. "Rolf?"

Sitting in a computer chair, Rolf leaned forward, hair covering one side of his face. "Yes, it is Rolf." He smiled, then stopped, forming a sort of scowling, confused look. "Rolf found you passed out on the fire escape. You reminded Rolf of Rolf after eating too many jujubees."

Kevin rubbed his face, chasing away the fog in his thoughts, still adjusting to reality and his new surroundings. He looked past Rolf through the office door. The door was made of glass with a soft sheen of dust, but it was still transparent enough to look through. The windows shed no light and save for their tiny shelter, it was dark.

"Shit. It's night already?" He scratched his head and paused, realizing his red cap was missing.

Rolf pointed down next to him on the floor. Kevin blinked and picked up the baseball cap, placing it on his head.

"Heat exhaustion ailed you. Rolf took you up on his shoulders and carried you here. Tell Rolf, why did you go out during the day?"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Rolf frowned, his brow twitching. "Rolf sees you are unfamiliar with the Hungerers."

". . .And you. Are. . .?" Kevin blinked. He was used to Rolf's fantastic stories but none of them had been very interesting, or seemed to carry a grain of truth.

Rolf nodded steadily. "The Hungerers were a common pest in the old country. It's the reason why Rolf's family fled. Here there is only groundhogs and seapigs. Rolf's family dreamed of the new country and it's simple problems." He sighed, as if remembering something.

"So tell me more about these things."

"Ah, yes yes. The Hungerers. No one knows how they came to be. There are as many tales of their origins as there are hairs on Rolf's back. One thing is certain they cannot be trusted! The brain-biters. . ." He hissed under his breath, scowling. "You shouldn't have been tra-la-laing about like a happy hen, Kevin-boy. The Hungerers are more active during the day, you noticed, yes?"

"Yeah. . . why is that?"

"So. You 'noticed' but didn't stay inside, like a stubborn radish?" He ignored Kevin's question and continued, "You were lucky you were out of reach of them. If you had passed out in the open they would have feasted on you like the tall Ed boy would feast on his gravy."

Kevin's mouth twitched at the mention of Ed. Rolf asked him what was on his mind and he explained everything that had happened before Rolf found him: how he and Edd had escaped the school, and their brief run-ins with Ed and Eddy. Rolf had frowned at the mention of Ed turning into one of the undead. He mused that he must pay his respects to the "tall chicken-loving Ed boy."

Kevin quickly advised his friend against it, explaining that the cul de sac was dangerous. Who knew if Edd had made more of those bombs? He had never asked. For all he knew, it was a minefield- and that was if there was a shred of the cul de sac left after the explosion.

At the end of his story there was silence. Rolf looked from Kevin to his lap and Kevin again. "Rolf must ask: where is the smart Edd boy now?"

The question made his heart squelch. He looked past Rolf again, at the windows showing nothing but total darkness.

"I don't know."


End file.
